MAJDAL SHAMS, Golan Heights — A significant event unfolded on Friday as members of Syria’s Druze community crossed into the Israeli-occupied region of the Golan Heights for the first time in several decades. Close to 100 Syrian Druze made the passage through a heavily secured border zone in a convoy of three buses, under the watchful eye of the Israeli military. Their trip aims to allow them to visit a revered religious site located on the Israeli side.
This rare visit takes place three months following the termination of the Assad family’s long-standing rule in Syria. In light of the political changes, Israel has pledged to defend the Druze population in Syria if they find themselves threatened by the country’s new authorities. Despite this assurance, many in the Druze community remain skeptical of Israel’s intentions, with detractors viewing it as an effort to destabilize and fragment Syria in the aftermath of President Bashar Assad’s fall.
At the border crossing, a group of Druze from the Golan Heights greeted their Syrian counterparts. They waved the Druze signatory multi-colored flag and shouted in Arabic, “It is written on our doors, welcome to our beloved ones.”
**A Historic Encounter**
“This visit is an important moment between families. We have family within Syria, and they are the same when they come here. It’s all about families,” explained Jawlan Abu Zed, a resident of Majdal Shams. “These are religious individuals visiting sacred places, akin to our Sunni brothers’ pilgrimages to Mecca or Christians’ visits to the Vatican.”
The Druze community, dating back to the 10th century as an offshoot of Ismailism within Shiite Islam, is one of the most closed-off sects in the Middle East. Their religious practices are largely hidden from outsiders, and conversion into the faith is generally prohibited.
With approximately one million adherents, over half of the Druze population resides in Syria, with significant communities in Lebanon, Israel, and the Golan Heights—a territory Israel seized from Syria during the 1967 Mideast war. The region’s annexation by Israel in 1981 has only been recognized by the United States, with the rest of the world viewing it as occupied Syrian land.
The crossing into Israeli-controlled zones has historically been significantly restricted. Druze religious leaders in Lebanon strongly advised against visiting Israel, classifying any visit as a breach of their directives. While Israeli citizenship is available for Druze in the Golan Heights, most choose not to take it despite having residency rights.
The Alpha Line, a buffer area that distinguishes the Israeli-administered Golan Heights from Syria, partitions numerous families. These people navigate life with a distinctly Syrian identity while living under Israeli governance. In Syria, the Druze have largely embraced Arab nationalism, showing support for the Palestinian cause.
**Recent Turbulence in Syria**
The coincidental visit followed intense clashes in Syria between forces backing Assad and those of the country’s newly dominant Islamist regime. These confrontations sparked some of the fiercest violence since the Assad ousting, led by the insurgent group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), previously linked with al-Qaida’s Syrian faction.
Subsequent to the clashes, retaliation acts emerged along Syria’s coast by Sunni gunmen targeting the Alawite minority, associated with the Assad family. Reports from a war monitoring group indicated almost 1,500 deaths within three days of turmoil, though independent verification of these figures is unavailable.
With the changing regime, the Druze, like many other minority groups in Syria, express concern regarding their treatment. However, the new government has reassured them of their inclusion in the political landscape. Syria’s interim president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, heads HTS.
The visiting Druze group from Syria plans to meet Israeli Druze religious leader, Mowafaq Tarif, to discuss the current conditions and future for Syria’s Druze.
Adding to potential cooperation, Israel’s Defense Minister, Israel Katz, announced plans to permit Druze from Syria to undertake employment in Israel, although timelines for this initiative remain unspecified.
